No Ron Paul revolution at convention

TAMPA, Fla. — The Republican establishment has quelled the Ron Paul Revolution, at least for 2012.

Using a mix of charm and procedural hardball, Mitt Romney’s campaign and his allies who control the Republican National Committee have ensured that the Texas congressman will neither speak nor be formally nominated at next week’s convention. It’s a significant victory for Romney, who could have been faced with a raucous rebellion from the Paul crowd if he hadn’t extended an early, and diplomatic, olive branch to what’s become a key constituency.

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The libertarian septuagenarian controls the state delegations from Nevada, Iowa and Minnesota. But a candidate needs five states to be officially recognized on the floor. Paul supporters have made claims to Louisiana, Massachusetts, Oregon, Oklahoma and Maine. But Romney’s coterie of lawyers skillfully used the rules and interpersonal negotiations to peel each away.

The 168-member Republican National Committee approved a report Thursday by the Romney-friendly “committee on contests” that invalidated Paul delegates elected in Maine based on irregularities at the state convention. The RNC voted to split the at-large delegation in half, effectively depriving Paul of control.

Paul’s high command and key supporters were disappointed by their defeats but surprisingly conciliatory. Most are adamant that there will be no trouble during the televised proceedings that begin Monday.

“We knew we were walking into a snake pit, but you’ve got to put up the fight,” said Virginia delegate Christopher Stearns, who worked closely with the Paul campaign on the convention platform and the rules. “You’ve got to have a discussion. Otherwise, it appears as though there’s nothing going on.”

“It was a fair hearing, and I thought it was an acceptable environment,” Stearns added. “The majority rules, and the will of [the] minority shall be heard. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the circumstances we have right now.”

To dissuade Paul supporters from disrupting this week’s pomp and circumstance, the Romney campaign and its surrogates have bent over backward to show respect to the Paul forces. There have been months of previously unreported, behind-the-scenes phone calls and meetings between Romney and Paul acolytes to try to build bridges and reach compromise agreements. The establishment made significant concessions on the platform to the Paul folks even before the group convened, and then they allowed up-or-down votes on proposals from Paul supporters during pre-convention meetings at the Marriott hotel here.

I don't see stripping Paul's elected delegates and denying him the five or more states that he earned the delegations from as bending over backwards to show respect.

The same tactics are being used against Virgil Goode and and Gary Johnson, trying to force them from the ballot and limit the choices the voters will see on election day.

The GOP is going out of its way to alienate the various conservative factions that are forming. The GOP is not unifying anyone behind Romney. All of the enthusiasm is being dismissed as fringe and irrelevant. Why would they expect anyone to support them in any future election?

The Constitution and Libertarian parties will likely see some dramatic growth in the coming years as the GOP fractures.

Romney deserves to see the backs of all the Paul delegates and anyone else who truly loves liberty and the Constitution as they leave the room when he comes out to make his speech that nobody will care about anyway.

Romney deserves to see the backs of all the Paul delegates and anyone else who truly loves liberty and the Constitution as they leave the room when he comes out to make his speech that nobody will care about anyway.

Mightymoose: Aug. 23, 2012 - 6:56 PM EST

Why would they expect anyone to support them in any future election?

David B.: Aug. 23, 2012 - 6:59 PM EST

Sour grapes never got an also ran anywhere. Go out in style, not as a jerk.

The caption - "The Romney campaign has bent over backwards to show respect to Paul supporters" is an incredibly disingenuous statement. The Romney campaign and RNC have bent over backwards to break their own rules and cheat Ron Paul supporters and delegates from their rightful place at the convention. This is stunningly obvious to anyone who has truly been paying attention to what has been going on.

this garbage rag politico has been saying for months paul never had a chance and then completely ignored all the cheating in all 50 states that the romney camp had to do to stay relevent.

what a pice of crap politico is to now, 3 days before the convention explain in detail what has been happening.

what about the paul convention supporters who had bones broken and plank sheets that appeared just like pauls did, and were given to convention supporters to confuse them in maine?

Politico completely ignored the biggest story in politics(Ron Paul) in the last 100 years and has conspoired against the american people and our revolution.

Paul has won in almost all 50 states but the cheating and the brutality were to heavy for paul supporters who were stuck having to follow the rules,and romney camp broke at every turn.

IT IS documented. where is that reporting politico. It is blatant and in your face and documneted all over the web in all 50 states and 4 territories. thats right. EVERY STATE had cheating and vote rigging, stuffing ballot boxes, having yesteryear gvt lackeys shut down conventions,

even while following the rules we almost won. while they cheated. stuffed ballot boxes, truned off lights and microphones. did not recognize when point of orders were called, etc etc. when one county found a certain way to block us, they called the other counties and told them their way worked until we caught on to what ever it was. The republican party is a pure disgrace for what they have done and the vile corruption that festers inside of it.

I completely HATE this rag politico and hope some day you all end up in jail for lying to the Americn people the way you have and purposefully misleading them. US code permits for your trials as principals when conspiring against us. did you know that?

you can be tried next to obama and bush as the same Principal!

talking above about romneys skilled attorneys. more like SS henchmen.

Politico and the other rags will have their day. you can bet that.

NOW a 4 page story comes out!!!lol

what a piece of garbage after telling the gullible public paul had no chance from the beginning and continuing the same garbage. NOTHING IS OVER UNTIL ITS OVER POLITICO u piece of crap.

I hope Im not on the jury who over sees media trials in conspiring with government to mislead tes and the american people, i would throw each and every one of you in gitmo. you are a disgrace to yourselves, your family and the American people.

Ron Paul has changed this country without being president. Some people just don't realize it yet. As far as going out in style, I can't imagine what you had in mind but he will never endorse flip flop Mitt and will stick to his principles like men with integrity do. Few others in Washington can say the same.

So the Romney campaign didn't like the delegates certain states voted for and proceeded to tell said delegates and the Paul campaign either accept our deal or lose all your delegates and we will hand pick pro Romney delegates to ensure a Romney love fest at the convention. Yeah, that's the guy who should be president, insert sarcasm here. The one who completely disregards the voting box and makes the outcome what he wants it to be. Who cares that Maine voted for all Paul delegates to represent them, Romney will just dispute dispute dispute even though he doesn't have a leg to stand on, he will block and sue each states delegation that voted for Paul delegates. Even the governor of Maine stood up for and knows the delegates voted were legitimate. I really can't stand Romney now and will never ever vote for him and I'm a fly-over country life long republican soccer mom but I'm not ignorant in the strong handed tactics employed by him to get his own way. While I may not agree with each states elected delegates THEY choose, not the national campaign. Because when it's decided nationally, we are in a dictatorship given the choice between two men with "executive order" privilege. Congress is null. I will NOT vote Republican for the first time and I bet I'm not alone. Choose Romney at Tampa and the R party will not win in November, they will not attract enough support with many, many normal Republicans not voting or protest voting. Palin was right, you alienated the Paul base, and they're 15% nationally, messed with his delegates and you have already lost without knowing it. Time to find a new party, bye!

It is not sour grapes to expect our leaders to follow rules laid out for decades. If we do as we please to "make" someone the nominee then why have state caucases if we will just ignore them? The ones who worked the polls, voted and sent the delegates to represent them feel like why did they bother if Romney was going to just step in and "declare" he would dismiss their choice. Why vote? why bother. Idiot lost us the election is what he did. Not sour grapes just cold hard reality that Romney is a jerk now.

Speaking of Paul, is there a term for conservative Republicans who go around acting like they are Ayn Rand libertarians? The faux libertarianism among the right is laughable. Ron Paul and Paul Ryan are the poster children for lipservice libertarianism.

Ayn Rand? The GOP is anti-abortion. Rand was passionately pro-choice.

Free market? The GOP kicks back to those that take care of them in the business community. They aren't about open competition... they are about gaming the system for the rich, giving special favors to special interests.

It is sour grapes. Romney won the requisite number of delegates to claim the nomination. Ron Paul won one-tenth the number of delegates Romney did. Despite the admittedly enthusiastic support Paul received, it was from less than 10% of the GOP voters. To deny that FACT and continue to whine about the "unfairness" of it all is nothing but sour grapes.

How could that possibly be when the nomination is not until the Convention, which is not yet convened.

Are you really that comfortable with having someone in the party hierarchy make the decisions for you?

Are you ok with following in the footsteps of progressives who believe that the Constitution is some outdated relic and that we are not in danger of losing our liberties -- including the right to elect our own leadership -- by atrophy?